Endless Bliss | Happy Lifestyle Blog: June 2013

the post with mary-kate and ashley.

mary-kate and ashley olsen


When I think of my childhood {and adulthood for that matter}, I think of my two idols: Mary-Kate and Ashley! They were seriously the center of my life when I was younger. I collected their books, I watched all of their movies, parties, and mysteries {and of course Full House}, and I wanted to be a detective so I could solve mysteries like them. My sister and I would perform their party videos {particularly the Costume Party episode. We had that one memorized to a tee}. I mean, everyone loved MKA when they were younger, right? Oh. You didn't?

mary-kate olsen gift

When I was in elementary school, my friend, Megan, and I had a MKA club. Meetings involved listening to their songs on tape and exchanging MKA books to discuss at MKA book meetings later. I wore their clothes, used their make-up, accessorized with their jewelry. I got mad at my parents because they wouldn't pay for me to join the real MKA fan club. They were all...

mary-kate and ashley gif

Devastation. And yeah, I'm 23 and I still have all of their parties and mysteries on VHS. And so what if I happen to pop them in the old VCR every once in awhile? What of it?

mary-kate and ashley gif

I also found a YouTube channel that let me watch every episode of Two of a Kind. I mean, it's the only one of their shows that you can't buy a DVD for, and it's so cute. I learned a lot of life lessons.

mary-kate and ashley olsen gif

Anyway, I've had friends who judge me cause I still watch their movies {you're probably judging me too. That's cool}. But I don't caaaare, because they were such a big part of my life growing up. I just L.O.V.E. them. I'll probably love them till the day I die, not gonna lie.

mary-kate and ashley olsen you got it dude gif

Any fellow MKA lovers out there?

-- tiffanykhyla.
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the post with the man crushes.

man crush, men with dogs


Honestly, I tried to limit my list to four so it would conicide with my list of girl crushes, but I had the hardest time just narrowing this list down to ten. There are just so many hunky famous people. Why doesn't any guy I know look like that? ...anyway. I tried to get pictures of all of them with dogs, because guys are always more attractive when they're holding a dog. Am I right? One didn't have a picture with a dog, but I did find out that, apparently, he likes to play with his food.


10. Ryan Reynolds
ryan reynolds with dog

My love for Ryan Reynolds began when I first saw him in Waiting... All inappropriateness aside, he was funny as crap. And HOTT (all caps, two T's). He just continues to get more attractive the older he gets. I mean, Definitely, Maybe - most precious movie ever. Sure, the movie was about telling his daughter the story of how he met her mother, but what it really taught me was that he would be a really good father to our future children.

9. Luke Bryan
luke bryan with dog

Luke Bryan has the honor of being the only person on this list who isn't an actor. Of course, living in Louisiana, I love me some country music, and Luke is one of my faves. Whenever he tells me to shake it for him, I do. Gladly. His voice is just {ahh} and his face is just so handsome. And yeah, he has some meat on his bones, but that just means he's human, and he likes his beer. Nothing wrong with that.

8. Chris Hemsworth
chris hemsworth with dog

People are always saying Marsha, Marsha, Marsha Liam, Liam, Liam, but I am allll about Chris. Mhm. I don't think much needs to be said here other than {that smile}. I could look at it forever. If there was an award for best smile out of everyone currently in existence, he'd definitely make the list. And of course, Thor. I got dragged to that movie. Didn't even want to see it originally, and now I can't stop watching The Avengers. Though the movie is AMAZING (no disagreement here), Chris steals the show with his sexiness {and smile}.

7. Ian Harding
ian harding with dog

Okay, yeah, I watch Pretty Little Liars. So what? I'm an adult I can do what I want. Ian is literally the best part of that show. If an episode doesn't have him in it, I'm depressed. Don't care that he plays a cradle robber. I'd lie about my age too. You go, Glen CoCo Aria Montgomery!

6. Matthew Lewis
matthew lewis with gourd, harry potter

Whenever I picture Neville, I always see the little pudgy faced boy who was looking for his little toad, Trevor. Fast forward to the later Harry Potter movies...drool. Who knew that that little boy was going to transform into the hottness that he is now? A million points to Gryffindor indeed.

5. Max Thieriot
max thieriot with dog

I've always thought Max was really cute (I mean, Jumper. Nancy Drew. Adorbs.), but he just shot up to sexy with his role in House at the End of the Street. Not only was he out of the blue, completely, unarguably, where has he been all my life attractive, the movie was really good! Did not see that ending coming. And now I'm obsessed with Bates Motel (though the last two episodes were meh), but I love his role in the show. Not to mention, he has a vineyard with two of his friends called Senses Wines. Who doesn't love a man who makes wine? Officially making that a requirement for my future husband.

4. Ryan Gosling
ryan gosling with dog

I don't know how there are girls in the world that call him a butterface. Ryan Gosling is SEXY! I didn't truly fall for the guy until I saw him in The Notebook, but man, I was so mad at Allie for giving him up. HOW CAN YOU GIVE UP SOMEONE WITH THOSE ABS?! I also just love that he was in the Mickey Mouse Club, and I fall for him a little bit more every time I see his boy band moves on the show. And how can you not love someone who roomed with Justin Timberlake for a part of his life? Ohmigosh.

3. Justin Timberlake
justin timberlake with dog

Okay, I have a confession. During my *Nsync obsession, I loved JC more than Justin. Ah! Now that the secret's out, I still loved Justin back during his boy band days, and now that he's solo and sexier than ever, I literally can't get enough. When his 20/20 album came out, I had it on repeat on Spotify, and I still listen to it in the car. Justin has three main elements, outside of his obvious outward attractiveness, that makes me lovelovelove him: (1) He can sing. He's been singing all his life and his pipes are sharp. Can't get enough. (2) He can act. Did you see Friends With Benefits? That movie was ridiculously good. And of course In Time, which I already mentioned my obsession with that movie when I talked about Amanda Seyfried. And (3) HE'S FUNNY AS CRAP! Oh my goodness. Every episode of SNL that he's in is always the funniest. I almost died during his segment in Vegan Ville in this last one. Girly sigh.

2. Shia Labeouf
shia labeouf with dog

Like everybody who grew up in the 90's, I watched Even Stevens. Of course, my favorite episode was the musical one. It didn't even matter that Shia's voice was dorky; he was freaking precious. I thought the musical idea was brilliant, and I was waiting for Lizzie McGuire to follow suit (Aaron Carter singing doesn't count). Anyway, he grew up into a fine young fella. When I saw him in Disturbia, I was like "Hey, Shia!" And duh he was hot in ALL the Transformers movies and Eagle Eye, but in Indiana Jones...OMG! SEXY!

1. Zac Efron
zac efron with dog

I don't care what anyone says. I have loved Zac Efron since he had a gap in his teeth in Summerland and his guest appearance on Firefly. I was jealous of the girl that got to go on a date with him when he was on Room Raiders. When he first starred in High School Musical, I watched that movie about a million times (or as many times as they showed it on Disney Channel), and then when he started going from cute to sexy (circa 17 Again and Charlie St. Cloud), I became borderline obsessed. I got mad at the girls that just started falling for him, wanting to shout, "I'VE LOVED HIM SINCE 2004!" But it's cool. He's only gotten more attractive with age. Mm mm mm.

-- tiffanykhyla.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 910
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the post with the girl crushes.

girl crush


Girl Crush (n): feelings of admiration and adoration which a girl has for another girl, without wanting to shag said girl. a nonsexual attraction, usually based on veneration at some level.

Thanks Urban Dictionary. And don't even lie. You know you have them. I know y'all have been dying to know who my girl crushes are. (No? You haven't?) Here are my top four:

Kristen Bell
kristen bell, girl crush

From the first time I saw her on Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I was in love. I probably rewound and played the "I'm Aldous Snow. Bulls**t, bulls**t, bulls**t. Oh no drink for me thanks. Bulls**t, bulls**t, bulls**t" scene about fifty times. And don't even get me started on Burlesque. She didn't even look like the normal her, but she was a hottie. And this scene is so scandalous:



And of course, I recently just finished watching all three seaons of Veronica Mars, which just made me fall in love with her more. Number one girl crush fer sure.

Emma Watson
emma watson, brunette, girl crush

Considering she was such a huge part of my childhood, I think it's impossible for me to not have fallen in love with her. She started out so awkward in the first movie, and then she grew up and became absolutely gorgeous and funny. Plus, she's British, which is always always always a plus. Then her character in Perks of Being a Wallflower was just amazing. I loved everything about that movie, especially her role. And she's so witty on the twitter (She just recently traded in her couch for a ping pong table. Doesn't get better than that). I just love her.

Amanda Seyfried
amanda seyfried, girl crush

Ever since she asked Cady why she white, I was hooked. Every line she had in Mean Girls made me fall in love with her. It's impossible to not like someone whose boobs can tell when it's raining. She's gotten even more amazing since then. Dear John - completely jealous that she got to love all over Channing, but that's okay. Her character was adorbs even though she left him in the end (though that's not her fault. Thanks Nicholas). Mamma Mia - I'm a sucker for all musicals, especially Mamma Mia since it's the first and only show I've seen on Broadway. Amanda was flawless. Don't even get me started on In Time. Absolutely OBSESSED with that movie. And Amanda in general.

Mila Kunis
mila kunis, girl crush

How can you not fall in love with her character on That 70's Show? I feel like I fell in love with Jackie a little more after every episode. And of course, she was also in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and her character was definitely one of my faves, especially when she freaked out on her ex on the beach. Died laughing.

- tiffanykhyla.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4
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the post with the disadvantages of being short.


Recently, I wrote a post about the awesome things about being short, so I thought I would do a follow up of why sometimes, being short can be a bit of a burden.

1. People never believe you're as old as you say you are. You will get carded FOR LIFE!

2. People don’t take you seriously. Ever.

3. Short jokes. They never stop.

4. You get lost in crowds. Don’t even think about going to a general admission concert unless you plan to get there the day before or have some shoulders you can sit on (and upset all the people behind you). There’s no way you can see anything!

5. Several sports are out of the question, namely basketball.

6. People are always looking down on you, in the literal sense.

7. When getting adult small t-shirts, they’re still too big, often coming down to mid-thigh.

8. You still get your height checked when going on roller coasters.

9. When driving, if the sun is in an awkward place and shining in your eyes, pulling down the mirror to block it does not help.

10. You have to pay extra money to get clothes hemmed, including maxi dresses, which is really depressing.

11. When taking driving lessons, you have to sit on a pillow or cushioned booster seat. (I may or may not know this from personal experience.)

12. Flowy skirts that go to mid-thigh on average height people make you look like you’re 12.

13. When illegally piling too many people into a car, you either end up on the floor or lying across the laps of everyone in the backseat.

14. You will be described as “cute” for the rest of your life. (As opposed to beautiful, sexy, etc.)

15. Everyone uses you as an armrest. (I had to sing a jingle about this once.)

16. When buying your first apartment, it’s necessary for you to purchase a stool.

17. If you don’t have a stool handy, you may have to climb onto counters; therefore, putting your life in danger on a daily basis.

18. When going wedding dress shopping, you have to let them know that you are short because not all of the sample dresses will fit you right.

19. When sitting down, you might not be able to touch the floor, so your feet are just left there. Dangling.

20. Hostesses at restaurants ask you if you want crayons.

Sometimes being short is just a struggle. Can y'all think of any other disadvantages?

-- tiffanykhyla.

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the post with the perks of being short.

Standing at exactly 5', I stopped growing at some point in high school, so I know the short people struggle and my life is full of short people probs. Some people may see being short as a hindrance, but there are a few perks, y'all! Particularly from the the female perspective. Here's a list of advantages of being short that I've compiled over the years.

1. You never have to worry about falling for a guy who is shorter than you, almost all of them are taller!

2. You can fit into small places. Meaning you win at hide and seek.

3. You always get to stand in the front in group pictures, meaning you don't get lost in the back like all those tall people.

4. Limbo. Win.

5. When people hug you, it usually turns into an awesome bear hug because you’re so easy to pick up.

6. People will always think you’re younger than you are. Conversation starter. I guess this could be a perk or a hindrance.

7. You don’t have to bend down for anything.

8. You never have to worry about the bed being too short or blankets being too small.

9. When sitting in the back seat of a car, you always have enough room, even if the person sitting in front of you has their chair all the way back.

10. People give you hand-me-downs. What a cheap way to brighten up your wardrobe!

11. You can sleep comfortably in small places.

12. Sometimes, they’ll let you order off of the kids menu at restaurants (Cheap food! Yes!).

13. Asking people to get things down for you is an easy conversation starter. Flirt. Flirt. Flirt.

14. When wearing heels to prom/homecoming/formals/dates, you don’t have to worry about being taller than your date!

15. You can shop for clothes and shoes in the kids section, thus saving you money.

16. It’s easy to maneuver yourself through crowds. If push comes to shove, you could also crawl your way through with minimum dirty looks.

17. Because you’re so small, people will randomly offer to lift you up to crowd surf. (Or is that just me?)

18. If you wanted to be a spy or a detective, you could fit through doggy doors and other small entrances to get the job done.

19. When you go to the fair and have the person guess you’re age, they’re always wrong. So you get a prize.

20. When jumping on the bed, you are less likely to hit your head on the ceiling. 

Can y'all think of any more??

-- tiffanykhyla.

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the post with sister's birthday.



I just wanted to dedicate a quick post to my beautiful little sister who is turning 17 today! Even though she can't vote, buy a a gun, smoke hookah, or by cigarettes yet, she can get into rated R movies without sneaking in anymore! Happy birthday, little sister!



-- tiffanykhyla.
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the post with the hedgehog.

flitwick the hedgehog


After I graduated from college and started my first full-time job, I was so lonely. I was living in my college town, but it wasn't the same. Most of my friends graduated with me and left to either go home or start grad school or their career elsewhere. I was living on my own for the first time, which had its advantages and disadvantages. Initially, I wanted a dog, but the pet deposit was $550. Ain't nobody got time for that. So I did some research to find a smaller pet that I wouldn't have to pay a deposit for.

Naturally, I decided to go with a hedgehog (not really naturally, but oh well). I had never known anyone that owned a hedgehog, and I've had so many other pets (several dogs, fish, turtles, hermit crabs, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc.) that I wanted to go with something I had never owned before. I drove about five hours with my boyfriend at the time to go get him. When my boyfriend held him, he pooped on his shoe. I knew it was meant to be.

hedgehog
On the drive home


 I didn't play with him at first. I was scared to touch him, to be honest. Those quills were very intimidating, and he kept hissing at me. Yes, HISSING! But over the past few months, we've fallen in love. More so me, than him. He still hisses at me sometimes.

hedgehog
Our first picture together. Once we got home, he wouldn't sit still.


I had a long list of potential names, and I finally narrowed it down to either Watson (Sherlock Holmes inspired) or Flitwick (Harry Potter inspired), and I went with Flitwick. He looks like a Flitwick, don'tcha think?

the hedgehog who lived
The hedgehog who lived


-- tiffanykhyla.
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the post with Girls in White Dresses.

girls in white dresses by jennifer close book review


I love love love to read, and lately I haven't been reading as much as I've been wanting to. But I ordered Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close the other day, and I finished reading it in about three days. I've seen this book on so many "must read" lists that I had to see what all the hype was about.

Girls in White Dresses follows three women - Isabella, Mary, and Lauren - who are stuck in a whirlwind of bridal showers and wedding bells all while having struggles with their families, relationships, and career.

I loved every second. There were a lot of characters to keep up with, but that's okay. It was such an easy read. I loved how it was written. I definitely saw a lot of myself in a few of these characters. I know the struggle of trying to start a career and living off little to no money while everyone else around you seems to be living fabulous lives. I think a lot of 20-somethings will see a little bit of themselves in this book.



I give this book a 4 out of 5. I recommend it to all 20-somethings and people trying to figure out the awkward transition from college life to corporate life.

For more from Jennifer Close, you can follow her on Twitter!

endless bliss book reviews


girls in white dresses by jennifer close

-- tiffanykhyla.
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the post with The Heat.

the heat movie, melissa meccarthy, sandra bullock


Yesterday I got an opportunity to do something that I've never done before - I got to go to an advanced showing of a movie. It was pretty exciting, mostly because it was free. I brought my little sister with me, and we went to see The Heat. To be honest, my expectations were pretty low. I thought it was going to be one of those movies where they show all of the funny parts in the previews and then the rest of the movie just doesn't measure up to the trailer's hilarity.

Boy, was I wrong. I was laughing through the ENTIRE THING. There were a couple times that I was laughing by myself, but that's cool. I started tearing up at one point from laughing so much. I also missed some of the dialogue because laughter was echoing throughout the theater. It was so funny, y'all. Be warned that there is a lot a cursing in it, but honestly, I think that just adds to the hilarity, particularly with Sandra Bullock's character. I mean, we're all adults here, right? If you have the money (movies are so expensive now. Ah!) and the means to get there, go see it when it hits theaters on June 28th!

-- tiffanykhyla.

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the post with veronica mars.

veronica mars


So I like to do this thing where I watch TV shows that have ended or have been cancelled so that I can just keep watching and not have to wait an entire week to see the latest episode. I've done this with How I Met Your Mother (though I guess this doesn't count because it has one more season left, but I'm super excited for it!), Lost, Heroes, etc. I recently just finished watching Veronica Mars (and when I say recently, I mean like thirty minutes ago), and can I just say that I was pissed? The show was just all open-ended and leaving me hanging. But then I remembered that they were making a movie (production started yesterday, by the way. Wahoo!), and I wasn't so angry anymore. Can you imagine if I did watch it while it was on TV six years ago? I would've been pretty angry. Because:

1 // Logan and Veronica are supposed to end up together! Okay, I admit, I thought Logan was a super jerk at the beginning, but he came around, and he became perfect. I kinda fell in love with him a little bit, not gonna lie. And even though Piz and Veronica are absolutely presh, it's all about Logan. They have too much history to just give up on that, ya know?

2 // What happened in the election?! I mean, I guess it wasn't looking too hot for Keith at the end with whole 'charges against him' fiasco, but he's done so much for Neptune, and people just treat him like dirt. Which doesn't really make sense to me because he's helped so many people, and when people don't want to go to the sheriff (or didn't want to go since he became the temp sheriff after poor Lamb died - which I was happy about. He was not awesome.), they went to him! Has no one heard of loyalty? I'm assuming he lost, but maybe business will be booming at Mars Investigations since Vinnie would no longer be a P.I., eh? If not, I hope he found love.

3 // What happened to Duncan? I know they showed him all happy on the beach with his adorable little girl, but is he going to stay in hiding forever? I really hope they bring him back. Then we can see how his daughter turned out at the reunion.

4 // Did Veronica and Leo rekindle lost love? If Logan and Veronica didn't end up together, I would definitely want her to end up with Leo. They were good together, and he's a cutie.
I guess you can say that I'm pretty passionate about the show since all I've been doing lately is watching it. And lucky me, unlike everyone that watched the show way back when and have been waiting for a movie adaptation for years, I only have to wait a few short months. Though I am depressed that I wasn't able to contribute via Kickstarter. I would've loved some of those cool prizes. Shame really. I've become a little obsessed, which is evident in Veronica Mars's and my social media relationship. Following on Twitter. Subscribed on YouTube. Following on Instagram. Liked on Facebook. All they really need now is a Vine, and we'll be besties. Speaking of YouTube:


I'm really curious to see how the movie adaptation is going to work out. It's supposed to take place around Veronica's ten-year high school reunion. I'll probably be a little depressed if her and Logan aren't together. They were kind of perfectly imperfect. All I really need is for all the loose ends to be tied up, and I'll be peachy. So freaking excited. Y'all don'e even know.

This is definitely my favorite cast announcement thus far. I'm a sucker for anything with sweet dance moves. Plus he's gotten a lot more attractive. Ooh ow ow!


-- tiffanykhyla.
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the post with the goodwill frame.



I'm a big believer of going into flea markets and antique stores just to see what I can find. Whenever a friend's birthday is coming up, and I have no idea what to get for them, I like to just go to Goodwill (my city of residence is a little slim on the antique stores and the like) to see if I can get inspired by anything. Recently, I went in just because I had a day off, and I was already out. When I saw this frame, I just felt like I had to buy it, and then I felt awkward because I had three people compliment me on what a good choice I made because the picture was gorgeous. I just wanted to scream that I was buying it for the frame and not the picture inside, but instead I just said, "I know, right?"

Materials:
  • Clothespins
  • Glitter
  • Mod Podge
  • Sponge brush
  • Large frame
  • Wire (I just used wire found in the craft section of Wal-Mart)
  • Duct tape
  • Pictures
  • Scissors
Directions:
1 // The first thing I did was glitter the clothespins. I actually glittered them awhile back with no idea what I wanted to do with them later. All you do to glitter them is place mod podge on one side of the clothespin using a sponge brush. Then you sprinkle glitter onto the clothespin and wala! Easy peasy.

2// Admire your awesome frame! (And the picture in it that everyone likes but will probably sold at a garage sale later in life. It is really pretty though.)



3 // Cut wire long enough to go from one side of the frame to the other. Secure onto the frame using duct tape. The number of rows is up to you. I did three.

4 // Clip all of the clothespins onto the wire.



5 //Cut pictures to desired size. I did 4x4 squares and was able to fit 8 pictures onto each row.
6 // Clip pictures onto wire.
7 //Admire your handy work. {You're so crafty, [insert name here].}

You can also make miniature ones with dollar store frames and wallet size pictures. Another option is to do Instagram prints or you could also use Polaroids. There are lots of ways to alter this craft.

Happy creating!

-- tiffanykhyla.
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the post with the pinterest party.


For my 23rd birthday this past year, instead of doing the usual 'get a bunch of people together and eat somewhere then go home and open presents' thing, I decided to do something different and throw a pinterest party. Of course, any sort of party involving crafts usually repels anyone of the male perspective, but I convinced my boyfriend to come (he lives an hour away) and bring along his twin. This was my first birthday back home since graduation, and all of my friends have dispersed into several different places, but luckily, I still had a few in close proximity that wanted to come celebrate with me.The instructions for my pinterest party included having everyone bring a recipe that was inspired by something they found on pinterest. Then at the party, we do pinterest-y crafts. Fun, right?! 

The cake:
The most important element of a birthday party is cake, so I had to do something exciting and pinterest-y. I made a rainbow cake, and it was kind of awesome (but hard to cut).    

rainbow cake


 Ingredients and mixing the batter. The purple isn't that cute, but it turned out okay.

rainbow cake

rainbow cake

To do the "23," my little sister cut the numbers on computer paper then we put it on top of the cake and sprinkled sprinkles all over it. Another pinterest idea, of course. I really love how the inside turned out.

rainbow cake


The slice looks a little awkward cause that thing was hard to cut. Cut me some slack, y'all.

Party food:
Other party foods/drinks included cake batter muddy buddies and pink fizzies. The salsa and bean dip were provided by my mom and her friend. Though not from pinterest, they were still delicious. My sister made some bacon wrapped smokies, and my friends brought crackers, mini corn dogs, and pizza. My boyfriend and his twin brought the pizza (cheaters).

pinterest party


Gettin' crafty:
Crafts for the party included making coasters, pebble mats, and ceramic mugs.

pinterest party

diy coasters
I love how my coasters turned out!

The party:
 I got really into crafting, so I didn't take many pictures, but, trust me, it was lots of fun. I captured a few of the girls make pebble mats for pots and pans and whatnot. These things ended up failing though. I found a better tutorial after the party, but I haven't tried to make another one.

pinterest party

pinterest party

pinterest party


My loves:
I was so thankful that my friends had time to come celebrate with me. I had such a fun time, and I love them all so much.

pinterest party
My little sister, Bre. She helped me so much with the party.

pinterest party
My lovely friends: Jake, Kat, me, Amber, Jon


-- tiffanykhyla.
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